The 14th of September, 2018, I published the text
"Earth, Wind and Water", here on Poeter.se
(page 9), about ESA: s "Wind mission", the Aelous
project and other scientific space projects by ESA.
I published it just a few weeks after the Aelous
mission had begun.
The Aelous satellite, launched the 22nd of August,
2018, was built to serve for 3 years, yet, it exceeded
its life-span with 18 months and was operational
for more than 4.5 years, until the 28th of April 2023.

The data acquired by its instruments surpassed
scientific expectations, and has proved crucial
for improving weather forecasts, as it gives us,
"vertical profiles of wind speed and direction
on a global scale to improve numerical weather
prediction and climate models." (ESA).

It is now "used by major meteorological centers
like ECMWF", (The European Organization for
Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites).
According to, "ESA/London Economics",
the Aelous' project has contributed around
3.5 billion euros in "societal benefits".

The success of the Aelous mission has created
a strong impetus among the ESA-member
countries, "for an operational Doppler wind
lidar mission to serve meteorological centers
and agencies in the 2030 to 2040 time frame."

This Aelous-2 project would consists of 2
satellites; the first one to be launched in
the 2030s. A prerequisite then, is that their
operational lifetime will be more than
10 years.
(American Meteorological Society, 2025)

- the Aelous project greatly improved the
capacity to produce high quality weather
forecasts, as it was integrated into
operational weather models by ECMWF;
the impact per observation was one of the
highest in existence.

- Aelous was "the first satellite to profile
Earth's wind on a global scale (from the
ground to the stratosphere),". (ESA);
critical data from previously uncovered
areas, such as above the oceans and
the tropics.

-Aelous improved the understanding of
complex climate phenomena and aspects
of air pollution; and this, how something
so extremely complex as the global weather
systems, interacts with, and are,
an integrated part of the ongoing climate
crisis, might be the most important and
positive result of the Aelous mission.

- as previously mentioned, the successful
completion of the Aelous mission,
has initiated an operational follow-on
mission, Aelous 2.

Hundreds of friendly Eagles, from all over
the World, they are up there, a glimmering
Field of Grace, working for us,
for you and me, 24/7.